So...I'm a little of an excessive worrier...and by a little I mean a lot, so part of what I'm worrying about is posting too much. As I've just discovered this forum I've had no one to talk about this stuff to for over six years since I started having severe pains so all this stuff keeps flooding my head of stuff to talk about on here so now when I get out of class instead of jumping on my email or facebook I jump on to these forums. So if I'm posting too much or something like that...please please let me know!

I have a couple issues - I kinda figured I'd just lump them into one post since they have to deal with worrying.

-- My brother is my best friend. I just found out about a week ago that he's leaving for Africa for the peace corps in a month for two years. I won't get to see him/talk on the phone to him for TWO YEARS. I don't know what I'm going to do without him!! He's been my main pillar of support in every aspect of my life since I was about 14. We talk to each other at least three to four times a week. Every time I think about it I go into a flare - I don't know what I'm going to do about it when he actually leaves. He's mostly my support for my mother - she's...well it would take a really long time to explain her - let's just say she's really neurotic and a handful for me to deal with and she lives 800 miles away and still drives me crazy - not the typical driving your children crazy - like...I've seen multiple therapists who had told me to get far away from her kinda thing. ANYway - so he's leaving - and I'm freaking out a little. Okay - a lot. I get to see him either this weekend or around Thanksgiving - not sure which yet. Either way - I get to see him before he leaves. So: a positive.

-- This weird thing started happening a few weeks ago. I started getting pins and needles in my feet - like ya know that feeling that happens after your leg or foot falls asleep then feeling returns to your foot? That feeling, but without anything falling asleep. I can be laying down, standing up, walking, sitting, etc. It doesn't matting what I'm doing. It'll happen in my heel and my toes and along the side of my foot - not the arch, but the other side - and this is both feet. Its actually quite painful too. Not REALLY painful, but enough for me to complain about it. Then a couple days ago it started happening in my fingers too. Does this happen to anyone else? My mom has restless leg syndrome and she said her feet get tingly sometimes, but this is the first time its happened for me.

-- Last thing, I promise. Sometimes I feel that I can't deal with all my health issues. I feel I should be able to either be a normal 21 year old (well - sometimes I'm glad I can't - I look at other kids my age and think they are dumb, but anyway). I feel really weak sometimes. I feel like I can't deal with things. I lay in bed a lot, then I'll feel like I need to get out of bed - get up, walk around - so I get up - dizzy, pain, etc. And I just don't want to deal with it so I lay back down. My room is a disaster because I don't have the energy to clean it after a day of classes and working and stuff. My laundry is overflowing - and I mean more than the average college student - I have NO clothes haha - the laundry room is two floors down - oh and I can barely lift my laundry basket.

So yeah...there's my rant...its quite a long rant. Sorry...~~Asthma, Reactive Airway Disease, Allergies (to nature), Fibromyalgia, Kidney Reflux Disease, Chronic Migraines (docs currently working on those), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Restless Leg Syndrome, and a few others that remain undiagnosed because I don't feel like being on anymore medication than I am already on. ~~

Hi Leeriesan! Sorry your brother is leaving you, but he's doing it for a wonderful cause! Be proud of him for this sacrifice. Let him know he can leave without you freaking out. I'm sure he needs to hear that.

I do get the pins & needles sometimes. I always attributed it to my back damage. I odn't know if that's the reason or not. I just deal with it.

As for being normal at 21. Define normal! I got Crohn's at 19 and have been in severe pain since: I'm now 49. It is hard, but it has made me into a better, stronger, more dependable person. At the risk of sounding masochisitc, I am thankful these things have made me who I am today. If I did not have the faith in God that I have, I would have given up. I have to force myself to do things most of the time, but I do them. Find a reason to get up. I got a parrot when my sons left home, just so I would have soemthign that needed me. I ended up needing him.150mg Azathioprine, Lomotil, Iron, Nexium 2/day, Fentanyl patch, Oxycodone, Baclofin

Lee, get out of that bed...right now! That's an order! You have to keep moving. You are a worrier and that makes the pain even worse. It also causes anxiety and that could be why you are experiencing dizziness. Also, with fibro, your equilibrium can be a little off. I know if I turn too quickly I will get a little lightheaded. But, you need to keep moving. The saying that if you don't use it you lose it is so true. You are becoming weak because you are not using your muscles. I know the muscles hurt but moving, walking, stretching all help with that. I use ibuprofen and Tylenol, and the malic acid supplements that are talked about in the Fibro 101 thread. These keep me going. Please, please, please listen to me.

I, too, get the tingling sometimes. I get it mainly in my hands. I also have carpal tunnel and many fibromites have that and it's like a pinched nerve in the wrist and causes tingling and numbness in the fingers. It affects the thumb, index finger, middle finger and the inside of the ring finger. This may be what's happening, too.

You will be fine without your brother. I'm sure there will be ways of keeping in contact. Will he have a laptop with him? If not, get him some stationary and stamps before he leaves. It's not like he's leaving the planet! Actually, this could be very, very good for you. It sounds like he has been a crutch for you. You need to learn to stand on your own two feet and face the world. You can't curl up in a ball and sleep through life. You are young and have a wonderful life ahead of you but you need to take the bull by the horns and get moving.

Lee, I have done so many things since I developed fibro. I haven't let it stop me. You don't have to let fibro stop you either. If you let fibro run your life, you will not have a life. But, if you decide that it will not conquer you, you will have a full and enjoyable life. So, look forward to your future. You have many exciting things ahead of you but you need to take the first steps.

You are not posting too much. If you have questions this is a good way to get answers. I'm glad, though that you put several questions in one thread. That helps save space so please continue to do that. We are here to help each other so never think you are asking too many questions.

Meanwhile, read back posts and the Fibro 101 thread, if you haven't already. You will find a lot of info there. Please get moving. I know you will feel better.

Pssst....Lee....I don't think you really can post too much here. There is such a thing, but usually those who fall into that category are doing rotten things like spamming the boards to try and hawk their crap. And well, I just don't get that used car salesman vibe from you.

Seriously though, if you feel like talking, asking a question, venting, or to tell something that amused you...write it up and hit the submit button. We all share here, whether it's good or bad. When I first came here it seemed like it was a family - and it's turned out to be more of one than I had guessed.

Yes, I get numbness and tingling in my feet often. If I stand for any length of time they do that and they can even do that when I'm not standing. That's when I stay busy doing anything I can do to keep my mind off of my symptoms. Otherwise you will start to obsess about them.

Sounds like you are very busy and things are falling behind- Maybe a small load of laundry to start with that you are able to carry. For your room, start in just one corner for 10 min. and keep doing that everyday or every other day and you'll be amazed at what you can get done. Maybe a half an hour on Sat. and Sun? You'll feel so much better when you get your surroundings under control.

My brother enlisted in the army when I was 19 and was in for three years. He was able to get home on leave once in awhile but I did miss him! It's normal for you to feel this way. But now onto a new "adventure" in your life. And you have your fibro family for support also!!!

So how many days do you wear a pair a jeans before they have to be washed??? My almost 21 yr old GS says he can get three days out of a pair. He doesn't have fibro. He lives in a 4 bedroom apartment with three other slobs.

Lee it is hard when someone you love dearly goes so far away. My oldest son spent 2 yrs in Okinawa. That was before laptops and cell phones. But think of the great experience he is going to have. This is obviously something he is passionate about.

I know it has to be hard being in college and around people with endless energy that don't have a clue what you are going through. Sherrine is right about moving even when you don't want to.

Mornings are usually best for me so I try to get the hardest things done in the mornings while I have energy. So if there are mornings when you don't have an early class maybe you can get laundry done or make that a priority on the weekends. With fibro we have to rethink how we do things. Everything is measured in energy now instead of time for me. It takes time to get use to the new body your in and learn how to live with it but it is doable.